Alcohol is Poison
by ReginaMills96
Summary: Mika Grainger has been at Waterloo Road and never once caused any trouble, but after she lost her mum to booze she goes off the rails. Rachel is the only one that can see through the trouble and tell there's an underlying problem. But can Rachel bring the old Mika back?
1. Chapter 1

(Mika's P.O.V)

I'd started Waterloo Road, four years ago. When my mum and dad divorced, Chlo went with dad and I was left here, stuck with mum. Well that was until three days ago...Three days ago my mum had drunk herself to death, literally. She was an alcoholic. And the worst thing was, she'd never admit she had a problem even though I knew it would kill her one day. The thing is I don't care...I don't care that she's gone. Everyday with her was miserable. I was tired of being her punch bag...her ragdoll. She didn't seem to realise that I had feelings too. She didn't give a damn about me. I don't even know how she could call herself a mother because she wasn't. She left me to fend for myself, let me starve while she spent all her money on alcohol. I didn't love my mum and I certainly wasn't going to miss her...

I laid on the grass outside school, everyone was in their lessons, being good little children. I pulled a bottle of vodka out of my bag and held it up to the sky. I was going to see what was so good about alcohol that my mum chose it over me.

"Cheers mum" I said bitterly

I put the neck of the bottle too my lips and drunk until I had to stop so I could breathe. After taking a few short breathes, I continued to drink my way through the bottle. When that one ran out I started on the next bottle. I hadn't slept in at least a week and everything was just building up, I kind of got why my mum drunk now. Because even though it tasted terrible, it made me feel like I could fly. I felt free. I didn't have a care in the world.

After the second bottle ran out, I decided to go inside. It was starting to rain anyway. I stumbled down the corridor, my vision was blurry and I kept falling into walls. I pulled a cigarette of its packet and put it in my mouth. I rummaged in my bag for a lighter and the cigarette fell out of my mouth, when I bent down to pick it up I fell over I was so drunk.

I'd never been this drunk in my life. I'd seen what drink had done to my mum and there was no way I was going to be that person. I could see the faint silhouette of a person walking towards me.

"Excuse me" I slurred "Have you got a lighter?"

"Mika?" Kim said "Mika, what have you been drinking?"

"Cherryade" I replied giggling like a child

"Okay, come on" she said

She put my arm around her neck and she put her arm around my waist, in an attempt to keep me upright. I giggled the whole way.

"I love you Miss Campbell, you know that right?" I slurred poking her cheek

Kim sat me down on some chairs outside Miss Mason's office and went inside, I didn't stay there long... I decided to climb over the railings near the stairs and hang down.

"Ooh ooh ahah" I screeched pretending to be a monkey

"Mika?" Kim said

My hands started to slip and I fell down hitting the bottom flight of stairs. Rachel and Kim ran down the stairs. If I had broken anything I couldn't feel it. All I could feel was the buzz I was getting from the alcohol. I stood up.

"I'M INVINSABLE!" I yelled giggling

"No, you're not Mika, come on, you need to sleep this off" Rachel said

"No, I'm having a party!" I slurred

"No you're not sweetheart" Rachel said

At that point I threw up all over Kim's shoes.

(Rachel's P.O.V)

"Okay, I've got this Kim, you go get cleaned up" I said

I held Mika's waist it was the only way to keep her standing, I took her to my car. She put her head back and passed out drunk. I put her seat belt on. I didn't know where she was living, she'd moved out of her mum's and she wasn't staying with Tom.

"Mika? Where are you staying sweetheart?" I asked

Mika didn't answer. I took her back to mine; I got her inside and laid her on the couch. I put a blanket over her. This wasn't like Mika at all. She was a straight A student, never skipped class and she'd never dream of turning up to school drunk. Mika Grainger was not a trouble maker. I put a blanket over her and sat on the coffee table. I stroked her hair gently.

(Mika's P.O.V)

When I woke up my head was banging. I didn't recognise where I was and Miss Mason was sat across from me. I sat up, putting my hand on my head.

"Sore head?" Miss Mason asked

"Yeah" I groaned

She handed me a glass of water and some paracetamol.

"Mika how much have you had to drink?" she asked

"Two bottles of vodka, I think"

"Okay, I'll drive you home and I'll talk to you about this tomorrow" Rachel said

"Thanks" I smiled

I got in the car. Rachel dropped me off outside. I moved the board off the door frame and went inside. I'd been living in a squat since mum died.

"Mika?"

I jumped; the thing about living in a squat was that everyone could get in. You never knew what was going to happen. I spun round to see Miss Mason.

"Mika? What's this? Where's your mum?"

"I don't want to talk about it, just leave okay? Please" I said

I went through to my room, it wasn't much. A mattress on the floor with a blanket. It wasn't much but it beat sleeping outside. Rachel followed me. She looked around.

"Mika? Come on?"She said

"What?"

"Get in the car, you're not staying here"

"Miss..." I argued

"Don't argue Mika get your stuff and get in the car"

I grabbed my bag, and got in the car. Rachel drove me back to her house. I had headache. I sat on the couch and fell asleep; I was still a little drunk. I got up in the night and found the bathroom; I closed the door and bent over the toilet throwing up all the vodka. I laid on the bathroom floor, closing my eyes and pressing my cheek to the floor...

"Mika? Mika love? Can you hear me?" Rachel said

I groaned softly, opening my eyes. Man, my head hurt. I looked up.

"What happened?" I asked

"You had a little too much to drink" she explained

My memories from the previous day started to come flooding back.

"I'm so sorry" I said quietly

"Don't be. Everyone makes mistakes. It's what we learn from them that counts" She said smiling softly


	2. Chapter 2 New Home

(Mika's P.O.V)

I stood up.

"Mika what's going on?" Miss Mason asked

"Nothing, thanks for everything but, I have to go" I said heading for the door

"Mika! Mika wait!" Miss Mason called

I kept going I ran all the way into town and wandered round for a while. School started in 30 minutes. If I walked slowly I'd get there just in time. I wandered to school thinking about my mum maybe I'd been in the wrong. Maybe I'd been a bad daughter. Maybe it was my fault. I got to school 10 minutes late, I guess I'd been too lost in my thoughts to realise how slow I'd been walking. I had science first with Mrs Diamond. I went inside.

"Mika you're late" Mrs Diamond said

I wasn't listening; I was in my own world. I went to the back and sat down. Michaela turned round to stare at me.

"Can I help you?" I asked her

"What's up with you grumpy? Had a fight with mummy again?" Michaela taunted

I stood up "Shut up"

Michaela stood up "Make me"

Mrs Diamond came round to us.

"Mika, outside" Mrs Diamond said

"What? Why me?" I argued

"Mika, go outside, I'll talk to you when you've calmed down" Mrs Diamond said

"You'll be waiting along fucking time!" I yelled

"MIKA GRAINGER, COOLER NOW" Mrs Diamond yelled

I stormed off to the cooler.

(Rachel's P.O.V)

I was sorting through some paperwork. When Sian knocked and came in.

"Can you have a word with Mika Grainger?" Sian asked

"Why what happened?" I asked

"She just kicked off in my class, her and Michaela White were about to break out into a fight and when I asked her to wait outside she kicked off more. I don't know what's going on, Mika has always been so quite and well behaved" Sian said

"Yeah of course I'll speak to her, where is she?"

"The cooler"

"Okay" Sian went back to her class and I went to the cooler. When I walked in the door, Mika looked away towards the window.

"Mika what's going on? This is not you"

"You don't know me" She said quietly

"Mika...I've known you since you started Waterloo Road, So I do know you and I know there's something wrong?" I said

"Just leave it" She said standing up

"Mika..."

I needed to find out what was going on, this wasn't Mika. Not the Mika I knew anyway...Mika stormed off and I went back to my office so she had some time to calm down. I still had a contact number for both her parents. I rung her mum, no answer. So I rung her dad, I hoped the number we had on file was still correct.

"Hello?" A male voice answered

"Hi Mr Grainger? It's Miss Mason from Waterloo Road. I was wondering if you had a contact number for Mika's mother. Mika's been acting up and I was just wondering if there were any problems at home" I asked

"Ah, she hasn't told you?" He said

"Told me what?"

"Mika and Chlo's mum passed away last Thursday" Mr Grainger explained

"Ohhh..."

That explained a lot. It was Tuesday her mum had been gone five days. That was it. That was why she'd been living in a squat.

"Yeah the drink finally killed her in the end"

"I'm sorry to hear that, I'll have a word with Mika...Thank you"

I hung up and sat there leaning back in my chair. Right, first things first, I had to find Mika. Where did I start? Her lesson. She wasn't there. She wasn't in the cooler either. I finally found her after searching the entire school. She was sat on the floor in the girls bathroom, sobbing.

(Taylor's P.O.V)

I'd blocked it out so long, that I couldn't take it anymore. I felt bad. I should have given her another chance. I should have got her help when she needed it. Her death was my fault. I hadn't even gone to her funeral, it had been on Saturday afternoon and I hadn't gone. I'd been so angry at her. I was just too stubborn to give in and forgive her. I sobbed sat there with my chin on my knees.

Rachel came over to me, she held out her hand and I took it as she pulled me to my feet, I looked at her through the tears, I couldn't control my sobs. Rachel wrapped her arms around me and held me. I was weary at first but eventually I gave in and let my arms close around her. She rubbed my back softly soothing me as I cried. I cried so much I thought blood would replace the tears. Rachel just held me and soothed me.

When I'd concealed myself, I pulled away. Wiping my tears.

"I'm sorry" I said

"Don't be, I spoke to your dad" Rachel said

Rachel took me to her office and sat me down, giving me a box of tissues, I dried my eyes. Rachel came and sat next to me.

"I want you to come and live with me Mika?" Rachel said

"Miss...I..."

"You're not going back to that squat and ever since you've been living there you're grades have dropped and you've gone completely off the rails...You don't have to stay with me, I can arrange somewhere else for you but you can't go back to that squat" Rachel said

I nodded smiling slightly at her "Okay, I'll stay with you. But, there's something I have to do first...I want to go see my mum's grave"

"Alright, I'll drive you there"

We stopped at the shop on the way to the graveyard to get some flowers. I took a deep breathe. Rachel came with me. I was grateful for that, it felt good to have someone to fall back on. I knelt down on the ground and laid the flowers down, tears pricking my eyes.

"Mum, I'm sorry I gave up on you, I should have got you the help you needed but, I was just so angry for what you did to me. You don't have to worry, Chlo's fine and Miss Mason is taking care of me. I'm sorry I didn't come to say goodbye to you, I was upset and mad. But, I promise I'll be back to see you again. And I want you to know I forgive you."

I kissed my hand and placed it on the grave, standing up. Rachel took me back to her house, I hadn't realised I'd left my bags there. She took me upstairs to one of the rooms.

"This is your room" Rachel smiled as I went inside

I put my bags on the bed.

"Have a shower, calm yourself down and I'll wash your uniform just put it in the basket at the top of the stairs" she smiled

I found the basket and put my uniform in it, it didn't take me long to find the bathroom, It felt so good to have a hot shower. I felt clean and relaxed as I climbed out of the shower; I wrapped a towel around myself.


	3. Chapter 3 Secrecy

(Mika's P.O.V)

I got changed and went down to Rachel, who was sat in the living room. She smiled.

"Feeling better?" She asked

I nodded and smiled. We ate dinner together at the table. It was a long time since I'd done that. I went to bed around 9. It felt so good to feel clean and safe, plus this bed was so comfy. I fell asleep almost instantly. I never had nightmares, when my reality became a nightmare, it didn't seem like anything else could scare me.

When Rachel woke me up in the morning, I pulled the covers over my head, groaning.

"Come on Mika you'll be late" Rachel said

"I can't go to school, I'm ill" I replied

"Mika, not wanting to get up is not an illness" she replied

"I don't want to go" I groaned

"Why not?" She asked

"I just don't"

"Come on,get up, your uniform is in the wardrobe and your lunch is on the counter in the kitchen, 10 minutes Mika" Rachel said leaving the room.

I pulled myself out of bed and got dressed. I was still half asleep.

"Get some breakfast"

"I don't eat in a morning" I yawned

I grabbed my lunch and put it in my bag, heading for the car. When we got to school I got out the car and Rachel went to park. Michaela was stood on the corridor.

"Teacher's pet now aren't we?" She taunted

"I'm really not in the mood"

I walked away. "Hey I'm talking to you bitch"

Michaela spun me round and smacked me. That was it. I hit her straight in the nose and we fell to the floor, fighting. People started to crowd round. Miss Campbell came through the crowd and pulled us apart.

"Cooler, BOTH of you!" She said escorting us both to the cooler.

I sat at the back, and as soon as Kim, Michaela started.

"How is life as a teacher's pet?"

"Fuck off!" I said

I walked out of the cooler.

"Mika?"

I turned to see Miss Campbell and Mr Mead heading towards the cooler.

"Get stuffed" I said and kept walking.

Mr Mead grabbed my arm.

"Mika? You're supposed to be in the cooler." He said

"And..."

"Miss Mason is in a meeting. So you'll have to take it up with Mr Tyler" He said steering me towards Rachel's office

I hadn't met Mr Tyler yet, but I didn't care anyway.

Mr Mead left me with Mr Tyler. I couldn't help but feel threatened by him. He looked mean. Mr Tyler closed the door. So it was just me and him in the room...alone.

"Mika Grainger, think you run the school do you?"

I didn't answer I just stood there with my arms folded. Mr Tyler grabbed my arm, I winced, his fingers dug in. My arms dropped to my sides as he dug deeper.

"Let go, you're hurting me" I said, looking at him. Pure fear in my eyes.

Mr Tyler stood in front of me, one hand on each of my upper arms. He stared into my eyes.

"I think you're going to go back to the cooler and behave. Aren't you?" He said putting words in my mouth.

I didn't answer I was too scared, I just stood there full of fear. Mr Tyler shook me, his grip tightening. Tears stung my eyes.

"Yes" I said, trying not to cry. I didn't want to look weak.

"Good, and if I hear even 1 report that you have stepped out of line. There will be trouble." He let go and I walked out of the room quickly.

(Rachel's P.O.V)

Mika ran past me on the corridor, she was crying.

"Mika?" I said

She kept going. She'd come from my office. I went in.

"What's going on with Mika?" I asked Max

"I just simply reminded her of the consequences of her behaviour" He said

He gave me a smile, I didn't trust that smile.

I went to the cooler, Mika was sat at the front ignoring Michaela, getting on with her work. She looked terrified and when the door clicked shut she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her hand was shaking as she wrote.

What had Max said to her?

"Mika, can I have a word outside?" I asked

"I can't. I've got to get this work done for Mr Tyler" she said, I could hear the fear in her voice.

"Okay" I let her get on with the work

I'd have to catch up with her after school.

(Mika's P.O.V)

At 3:15 I took the stack of work, Mr Tyler had given me to his office. I put it on his desk. He looked at it.

"Its sloppy Mika. I want it all written up neatly and on my desk first thing tomorrow."

"But Mr Tyler..."

"Are we going to have a problem?" He said giving me the same look as this morning

I shook my head.

"Pardon?"

"No sir" I said

I went to pick up the work and as I did, he grabbed my wrist.

"Oh and Mika, I suggest you keep your mouth shut" He said

I nodded "Yes sir"

I took the work and walked out of the school building. Rachel always got home later than me. I normally waited for her but tonight I walked home. I let myself in and went straight to my room. I wanted to get this work done, but my head was banging and I couldn't concentrate. I heard Rachel come in, I kept going with my work.

Rachel came in. "Mika?"

(Rachel's P.O.V)

Mika was in a state. She was quiet and she was crying.

"Mika sweetheart?" I said

She looked up at me. I had the heating on, and Mika had her hoodie on. She stood up and I put my hands on her upper arms looking at her softly. She was red hot. She winced and shrugged out of my arms.

I knew something was wrong now.

"Mika take your hoodie off please" I asked

She looked at me and shook her head. I moved my fringe behind my ear with one hand. Mika flinched.


	4. Chapter 4

(Mika's P.O.V)

"Mika..."

I took my hoodie off I didn't want to fight. Rachel's hand moved to her mouth. I looked down my upper arms had green and purple finger prints and my wrist was black with bruising.

"It's nothing" I said "It's just from the fight with Michaela that's all"

I looked down.

"It was Max? Wasn't it?" Rachel said

"No."

"Mika..."

"Just leave it Rachel!" I yelled

(Rachel's P.O.V)

And there was Mika...Everytime I thought I'd gotten past her barrier, she shut me down and pushed me away...As much as I loved the girl she was, I hated what her mother had done to her.

I left Mika alone to calm down, then next morning I went to wake her up.

"Mika, come on wake up" I said

She faked a cough and sniffed. It stuck out a mile she was putting it on.

"I'm too ill to go to school" she said

I rolled my eyes "Come on"

"Are you deaf!? I said I'm ill!" She yelled

"Not too ill to argue though?" I said raising my voice a little "Come on I'll drive you"

"I'm not going!"

"Oh yes you are." I argued with her

She got up and stormed to the bathroom coming out 5 minutes later dressed.

"Car..." I said

"Stop trying to be my mum!"She yelled

I grabbed her arm pulling her back as she headed for the stairs.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm your guardian and its my job to look after you" I said

"Like I need you! I survived without them all! Without Chlo, without dad, without mum. I don't need anyone!"

" to school and when you do go to the cooler and get yourself calm!" I was starting to get angry, but only because I was hurt. She didn't seem to get the fact I cared about her. She was the closest thing I had to a daughter.

(Mika's P.O.V)

When I got to school I went to Mr Tyler's office and took him the work he wanted.

"This is a disgrace" Max said bitterly

"But Sir-"

"Do not argue with me Mika!" He bellowed

Rachel came in. I'd never been so glad to see her.

"Mika I asked you to go to the cooler...Go onp" Rachel said

I gave her a grateful look and went out the door. Max came to see me in the cooler. I looked away towards the window.

"Mika." He said

I kept my eyes on the grabbed my hair and pulled it so I was forced to look him in the eye. He pulled it until I was standing looking him in the eye.

"I'm sorry Mr Tyler" I said holding in sobs

"That's better" he said and he let go of my hair

I fell to the floor. I got up quickly and ran for the door.

"Mika!" Max bellowed after me

I ran down the corridor. But, Max caught up with me easily. He shoved me into a wall, I tried to scream, but he put his hand over my mouth.

"Somebody needs to learn to do as she's told" he growled quietly

He shoved me into the caretakers cupboard. I hit the shelves. Max slammed the door. A hammer fell off one of the top shelves and hit me. I felt a wave of pain and then I passed out.

(Rachel's P.O.V)

Kim came into my office with Mika. Mika had a large gash on her head and the front of her blonde hair was red with blood. Kim sat her down and held a towel on her head.

"What happened?" I asked her just as Max walked in

Mika glanced at him then looked back at me

"I can't remember" she said

I knew she could remember, she just wouldn't tell me.

"Janeece can you call an ambulance please" I asked

"No!" Mika objected "Honestly,It's nothing. I just need some fresh air..."

She looked at Max again,I saw the look in her eyes.

"Okay" I took her outside and sat her down on the grass

"Mika what happened? You can talk to me you know?" I said

"Yeah I know, I just tripped that's all. I tripped over a box and fell into the shelf and a hammer fell down"

I wasn't buying it.

"I need to take you to the hospital just to be safe" I said

"I'm-"

"No arguements" I cut her off

(Mika's P.O.V)

I had my head stitched. The doctor insisted that I stayed in. Rachel had gone to get a coffee and I was alone. Max snuck in,he put his hand over my mouth. Suddenly, the curtain opened and 2 police officers walked in. They took Max away.

Rachel came in after.

"I found you some visitors" Rachel smiled

My dad walked in with Chlo.

(Rachel's P.O.V)

After Mika was discharged from hospital, she moved down south with her dad and Chlo, she left waterloo road and although she stayed in contact. It wasn't the same...


End file.
